Sunday, July 28, 2013

More, More, More!


For the past several years, I've been looking 
for a good seat from which I can watch the races.
I wander, looking for place where I can see
the cars as they speed by. However, after having spent 
each May for twenty years standing inside 
Turn One to take pictures, I've not found a one 
that equals the view I had there.

To build the road course, the creek inside Turn One 
was covered over and paved, and bleachers were 
removed to create the carousel for the motorcycles.
Hulman Boulevard, which bisects the infield 
north to south, becomes a section of
the road course that can be seen from viewer 
mounds or from concrete barriers
such as the one this little boy and his mother
are sitting on. In fact, the barriers seemed to be pretty
popular viewing spots for children, supported
by their parents, to stand to get a good, close view
of the cars as they enter a series of small turns
on their way back to the main track.


Just behind the mother and boy, the NASCAR haulers
were parked, by order of championship points.
Currently, five-time champion Jimmy Johnson is leading,
so the hauler of his car is first in order, 
on the left. If there are any changes after tomorrow's
Brickyard 400, they will be reflected in the 
trucks' line-up at the next race.


This is the view passers by on 16th Street have 
of the inside of the Speedway. The large building
at the center is the Pagoda scoring and media
center for the track. The scoring pylon can be seen,
poking up from above the main grandstand about 
a fifth of the way from the center left of the picture.

The South Short Chute is just on the other
side of the concrete wall in the middle of the picture.
All one can see of the cars is, maybe a roof top
on a stock car. However, one can see cars as they enter
Turn One from the Front Straight. Whoo-hoo!
By the way, the Pagoda is the tallest 
building in the town of Speedway. 


This was my view Saturday afternoon of the starting grid 
for the Rolex Grand Am race. I love the sound of those cars, 
an intriguing mix of growl and purr that's seductive. 
When I entertain fantasies of driving a race car, 
these are the ones I choose. Every time.

I've always felt that these guys were the elite 
of race car drivers because they were good for the distance,
for their staying power. Conversely, drag racing has
always seemed to be all braggadocio and display
with four seconds of action - Pfft! and done.

And ... more, more, more ... lame.



2 comments:

dive said...

Woohoo (and hee hee for the more, more, more).
You had me exploring the circuit on Google Earth to see where you'd been wandering.
Inspirational stuff, Speedway. You sure can't beat race day noise for sheer whoop-out-loud joyousness,

Speedway said...

Sorry about that, Dive. I was looking for a map of the course to include, but I couldn't find one with the numbered turns for the road course. For me, Turn One will forever be the main track. I love watching from the mounds, but I'm looking for a good spot for pictures, too. Meh.

I should have added that the line of trucks that can be seen from outside IMS is NOT the NASCAR haulers, but those used by the sports car folks. Dive, that is a load of trucks in one spot.

And the "more, more, more" lady seems lame even for her era. There she stands, moving like all the white woman jokes would have you believe is the case - and wearing granny panties, too!